


I And Love And You

by seekrest



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, First Dance, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Spider-Man: Far From Home Compliant, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wedding Fluff, the fluffy wedding one-shot we deserve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 18:43:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20314219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seekrest/pseuds/seekrest
Summary: Peter already put a ring on Michelle’s finger, but if he hadn’t - it would be this moment alone that would convince Tony to talk to him about it.Women like Michelle came around once in a lifetime, the strength it took to ask him this something Tony admired.He wouldn’t want Peter to miss out on a love like this.“So. Will you do it? The dance?”Tony blinks a few times, then smiles.“I’ll do it, Jones. Don’t worry about it.”





	I And Love And You

“You ready for this, Tony?” He turned to his side seeing May’s smirk. Tony smiles, shaking his head. 

“Nope. I’m not, I’m really having a rough time with this May. I mean freesias? For a wedding? I thought Jones was a rebel.”

May laughed, nudging his shoulder as she looks out over the entryway, Tony following her gaze.

It was a cheap joke, one to help calm his nerves. He wasn’t concerned about the day, about the two kids who weren’t kids anymore finally tying the knot.

It was the dance, three minutes of awkward smiles and flashing lights and Tony potentially making a fool of himself. 

“You’ll be fine, Tony.” May offers, giving him a smile meant to comfort him but only makes Tony feel more on edge. 

Of course _ May _would be fine, she’d been a dancer in another life- a revelation she’d offered after her third glass of wine at Peter’s college graduation party. 

Pepper had been amused, Tony laughing as Happy took the information in stride - already seeing how his friend was trying to finagle that into another potential date. 

But that was years ago now, Tony sighs as he looks back to the entryway.

Happy didn’t have to scramble to get dates with May, had been happily married for the past three. But now standing in the entryway of a beautifully decorated church - a little over an hour before the ceremony that he both looked forward to and dreaded, made Tony’s heart skip a beat.

He wasn’t ready for that first dance with Michelle for a variety of reasons - all of them sentimental.

May just nudged him once more, a knowing look in her eyes. 

“Go check on, Peter. I’ll see how Michelle’s doing.” May smiles warmly, Tony nodding as he heads off in the opposite direction. 

He knew the kid wasn’t nervous, Peter had been waiting a long time for this day - but he appreciated May giving him something to do anyway, something to take his mind off the swarm of emotions flowing through him.

He lightly knocks on the door, smiling as he heard footsteps rushing to the door.

“Don’t come in! The groom isn’t ready! It’s bad luck!”

Tony laughs, “It’s me, Leeds, calm down.” 

Ned opens the door wide, Tony smiling at how happy the kid’s best friend looked. Tony hadn’t spent much time with Ned when they were in high school, but he enjoyed hearing stories about him - stories of LEGO kits, and Star Wars marathons, and school lab experiments.

Ned had been around for Peter long before Tony ever had and even now, years and years after they’d first become friends - Ned was still there. 

Tony appreciated loyalty in friends. 

“Mr. Stark!” Tony puts a hand up, walking into the small room.

“How many times do I gotta tell you, Leeds? It’s Tony. Call me Tony.” Ned just grins, motioning for him to come in. 

“Come in, come in, Pete’s been asking for you.” 

Tony steps in, eyes glancing around the room until Peter rushes in from the other room, a smile on his face that makes Tony’s heart swell.

“Hey Tony, where’d you go?” Tony just shakes his head, taking Peter in.

He’s fully dressed, in a tux that’s tailored to him perfectly. His hair is actually smoothed down for once, intentionally messy in a way that Tony knows is the current style. Peter’s taller than what he was when Tony first met him, his shoulders broader and his jaw sharper. 

But the gleam in his eyes, the hint of childish glee still brings him back to the earnest fifteen year-old kid he met in that old apartment. 

“Nowhere, kid. Just getting a feel for the place.” He walks up to Peter, going to straighten his tie as Peter smiles. 

“Still don’t understand why you and Jones decided on a church. You know damn well your Sunday plans usually involve brunch.” 

Ned laughs behind him, Peter shaking his head. “You shouldn’t swear here.” 

“I think the Big Guy can handle it.” Tony says, feeling content with his work on Peter’s tie, bringing a hand to his shoulders as Peter smiles. 

“You know MJ wanted to do something to honor her dad, you know since, since he couldn’t be here.” 

Tony’s smile falls, remembering why he was asked to do the first dance in the first place. His grip on Peter’s shoulder tightens, nodding his head.

“Yeah kid, I know.”

* * *

It hadn’t been a last minute request, Peter broaching the topic with Tony months and months ago. But it still felt out of the blue, Tony equal parts touched and surprised that Michelle wanted to ask _ him _ to do the father/daughter dance. 

He liked Michelle, had liked her since the moment had burst into the lab gushing about her. She’d reminded him of Pepper, that idea only solidified when he actually got the chance to meet her - visibly unimpressed by the compound and by being in the presence of enhanced beings, gods, and billionaires. 

Michelle had seemed good for Peter, and now - years and years later - Tony was only further convinced that she was. 

Yet that still didn’t explain her desire for him to be the one to fill the role her dad left behind. 

“I mean,” Tony sighed, sitting back in the lounge chair, looking back to Peter, “I’m flattered kid, but doesn’t Jones have uncles? A cousin or something that might be---” Peter cut him off, shaking his head.

“She wanted it to be you. At least, that’s what she told me. She’ll probably be pissed that I talked to you about it before she had the chance to.”

Tony laughs, Peter joining him. A comfortable silence settles between them, Peter holding Tony’s gaze. 

“If she asks you, or I guess when… are you gonna say yes?” 

Tony thinks for a moment, at a loss for what to say.

* * *

He liked Michelle, loved how good she’d been for Peter - how Tony had seen in the years that they’d been dating, how Peter had been just as good for Michelle. 

Tony considered them close, Peter and Michelle joining them for long weekends at the cabin, going on vacations when their schedule allowed. They’d had enough conversations for Tony to feel comfortable around Michelle, but he still couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of her asking him for something as big as this, something that had such magnitude and meaning on what was arguably one of the most important days in her life.

Tony remembers when Michelle’s dad passed away, a few years into college - remembering the panicked call from Peter that made his stomach drop. His first thought had been that something had happened to the two of them, that they were in danger - jumping out of bed without a second’s thought. 

But when he finally deciphered the sobs on the other end, the voice full of concern and panic and worry about how to be there for his inconsolable girlfriend, Tony had just sighed - settling back on the bed as Pepper moved in her sleep. 

There weren’t world-ending threats in Tony’s world now, no monsters or villains he had to fight. But even something as common as a heart attack did nothing to quell the pain Tony felt in his own chest, the idea that Jones - smart, compassionate, fierce in a way that he admired - was hurting in a way that he knew all too well. 

Unlike his own father, Jones had seemed to be close to hers - Peter mentioning on more than one occasion of the way he’d make the two of them laugh, cooking big dinners that made Tony feel a small pang of envy for. 

He shouldn’t, Tony knew he should be grateful there were so many people in Peter’s life that loved him, wanted to celebrate him and the life he was creating with Michelle. And hearing the news about the faceless man who’d been such a part of her and Peter’s world just made his own heart ache. 

He knew Jones would survive, that she was strong and more than capable of pushing through the gulf of grief in front of her. But he didn’t say that at the time, only listened to Peter’s panicked questions - assured him of what to do and what to say.

Though there was an idea that time heals all wounds, Tony knew best that sometimes there were some wounds that time could never touch. 

* * *

Tony licks his lips, sighing. “I… I don’t know, kid. Why don’t we cross that bridge when we get to it?”

Peter doesn’t seem satisfied with that answer, Tony recognizing the look on his face. But Peter accepts it anyway, bringing his drink to his lips. 

“Okay.” 

That bridge ends up coming up sooner than Tony expected, a few hours after Peter had cornered him outside. 

Michelle comes up to him after dinner, Tony startling as he always did with how quickly she made her presence known.

“Hey Stark.”

“Jones.” He nods, watching as she seemed to consider something.

“You like dancing?” 

Tony blinks, eyes glancing over to where Peter and Happy were joking about something before turning his attention back to Michelle.

“I do, don’t do it enough. Why? You looking for some date ideas? Pepper’s always got a bunch of wild ideas I’m sure she’d be willing to--”

“Did Peter tell you?” Tony stops, studying Michelle before he answers.

One the one hand, Tony knew by now that Michelle valued honesty above all else - she’d gotten more tactful as she’d grown older, but the insistence on finding the truth only served her in her career as a journalist. 

One the other, Tony also knew that Michelle hated being talked about - especially over something sensitive and as personal as this. 

He didn’t want to throw the kid under the bus, but Tony figured the former was the better option.

“Yeah, he mentioned something.” 

Michelle sighs, nodding her head. 

“Figures. He can’t keep a secret to save his life.” Tony smirks, Michelle catching his eye.

“How the hell the world didn’t find out his secret in high school is a miracle.”

“You’re telling me, Jones. Kid made me go grey a lot earlier than I ever should’ve.” 

It’s silent for a moment, Tony waiting to see what Michelle would do. 

He can almost hear her mind whirring, laughing to himself just how similar she was to Pepper - considering all avenues, judging how and when to approach the topic at hand. 

Peter already put a ring on her finger, but if he hadn’t - it would be this moment alone that would convince Tony to pressure him about it. 

Women like Michelle came around once in a lifetime. Tony wouldn’t want Peter to miss it. 

“So. Will you do it?” 

Tony blinks a few times. “The dance?”

Michelle nods. 

“Well, Jones, I’ll tell you what I told Pete. I’m flattered really, it means a lot that you would think of me but--” He leans against the wall, a sad smile on his face, “You think it might be better to have an uncle or a cousin for that? Something that reminds you of your dad?” 

Michelle winces, Tony regretting bringing it up - even if he knew it was necessary. He didn’t want Michelle to ask him only for Peter, the thought rumbling in the back of his mind ever since Peter had brought it up. 

Michelle had an incredibly family, from all he could gather. A loving mom, grew up with a wonderful dad - Peter raving about the backyard lunches and parties and get-togethers they’d have. It didn’t make sense for Tony when Peter first brought it up but after some hours to think of it, he wondered if Peter’s influence had something to do with it. 

Michelle was her own woman, independent in a way that Tony admired. But he knew if she really was anything like Pepper, that she’d still do what she could to be there and support the man she loved - in whatever way she could. 

“I love my uncles, I do. They’re just… they’re not my dad.” Tony waits as Michelle continues. 

“I don’t know, it’s hard to think of him not being there for, for you know.” Michelle’s voice is soft, Tony feeling a wave of compassion for her. 

“I know, kid. It’s hard.” Michelle gives a small smile.

“And that’s why I wanted to ask you. Cause, you do know. I mean, Pete’s told me you weren’t really close to your dad but… you get it. And as much as I love my uncles, it’s… just....” 

It clicks for Tony then. 

He and Michelle were close, all things considered. But the idea of a father/daughter dance was special, memorable in a way that couldn’t be replaced. 

Michelle’s dad couldn’t be there. And it seemed as if the ideas of having the father/daughter dance with her family would be too much like trying to make him be there -- even if he never could be. 

Asking Tony was safe, a step removed. They were close enough that it wouldn’t be awkward but not that close that it would make Michelle think of the man and the moment she had lost. 

He offers another solution before accepting.

“You know you could just cut the dance out, skip it. No rules about what you should or shouldn’t have at your wedding.” 

Michelle smiles, genuinely this time as her eyes find Tony’s. 

“I know, but Peter wants to dance with May. And if I don’t do the dance, I know he won’t press it, won’t want to make me feel bad or some stupid shit. You know how his mind works.” 

Tony smiles, nodding as Michelle sighs. 

“I know it sounds like a back-handed compliment but I think doing the dance with you would just… be better.”

Tony doesn’t make Michelle push it further, putting a hand out to her shoulder. 

“I’ll do it, Jones. Don’t worry about it.” 

A smile is all the response he gets, but Tony feels the relief and acceptance in it all the same. 

* * *

Tony nearly regretted that promise now, leg bouncing up and down. He wasn’t exactly nervous, he’d danced plenty in his life - the memory of his own first dance with Pepper making him smile. 

She puts a comforting hand to his back. “You got this, Tony.” 

“I know, Pep. Just want to make the kid proud.” 

Pepper smirks. “Which one?” Tony gives her a look, hearing the familiar refrain of the song Peter and Michelle had chosen begin. He stands, eyes searching the ballroom for Michelle. 

She’s in the middle of the dance floor with Peter, looking up then back to Tony. 

Pepper patted his back again, Tony straightening his shoulders as he walked straight towards her. 

“Can I cut in?” Peter laughs, kissing Michelle once more before he turns towards May, who was walking up to meet them. 

“Take care of my girl, Tony.”

“Oh I’m sure she can handle herself fine, Pete.” Tony says, Michelle’s arms into his as she laughs. 

“You’d think Peter would know that by now.”

Tony shakes his head. “The woman who marries him will definitely have a lot on her plate.” 

Michelle grins, swaying to the beat. “Oh completely. A dumbass like that? She’d have to be a glutton for punishment.” 

Tony just smiles, matching her steps. 

Tony can see that Michelle’s thoughts are elsewhere. Even with Tony dancing with her, it’s clear that her mind’s revolving around the one who wasn’t there. 

They slowly moved to the melody, Tony nudging Michelle after a few moments. 

“You sure about this, Jones? I can still set you up, help you make a run for it. I got property in the Cayman Islands, help you disappear.” Michelle laughs, eyes sparkling as she throws her head back.

“What would Peter say if he knew you were trying to get me ditch him at the altar? Or the reception, I guess.”

Tony shrugs, winks. “I think he’s made his peace with the fact that I like you more.”

Michelle’s silent for a beat before grinning, Tony watching in real-time as the sadness starts to melt away. 

“Thanks, Tony. For this. For… everything.” A million words pass between them through their gaze, though neither of them say a word. 

Tony understands what Michelle is saying. 

The dance, the support - the years and years they’d had together, the many to come. 

It was as if Tony realized the permanency of what they were doing, the invisible line they crossed. Tony could never replace Michelle’s dad and though he understood her reasoning for not choosing a member of her family, it hits Tony that Michelle contained multitudes. 

Peter had mentioned once that for as forthright and as confident as Michelle was, she still had a lot of invisible walls - a lot of ways she kept her feelings close to her chest. 

Asking Tony may have been the arguably safer option - the idea of creating distance, but it was still significant - something that Michelle may not have even felt comfortable herself verbalizing. 

Tony could never replace her father, and never dreamed he would. But the surge of love he feels for her then, a feeling he recognizes as being the same as what he felt for Peter - made Tony smile.

Peter had married Michelle. And Tony suddenly felt as if he went from having two children, to three. 

“Anytime, kiddo.”

They dance in silence for a minute, Tony seeing the smile form on Michelle’s face.

“Change of plans?”

Michelle laughs. “No, marrying the dumbass was a good idea.”

“Then?”

Michelle shrugs, glancing over to where Morgan was sitting. “Think you’ll be ready when it’s her turn?”

Tony shakes his head furiously, a stern look on his face as Michelle laughs.

“Absolutely not. I refuse to acknowledge it, she’s staying young forever.”

Michelle grins, swaying with Tony. 

“Didn’t she have a girlfriend last year?”

“Passing fancy, school-girl crush, that’s it.” Michelle’s lip quirk to the side, clearly enjoying teasing him.

“You know she _ did _mention a boy that she thought was cute last week, maybe I should—“

“Consider carefully how you finish that statement, Jones.” Tony frowning, even as Michelle just shakes her head. 

“Morgan’s gonna grow up someday, Stark. Quicker than you think.” 

Tony looks over to Peter, the bittersweet sadness of seeing him dance to the beat with May - hair fully a mess, looking impossibly young and grown all the same. He looks back to Michelle, her eyes steadily looking into his.

“Yeah kid, I know.” 

The song ends, quicker than Tony had expected. Without missing a beat, Peter’s immediately back to his side, Tony laughing.

“Did you just ditch May or--”

“It’s my wedding day, Tony. I’d like to dance with my _ wife _.” The way Peter’s eyes sparkle makes Tony feel like joy is bubbling over in him, the wonder in his voice at referring to Michelle as his wife.

Tony couldn’t blame him. 

Michelle just laughs, Tony graciously stepping back as the two of them get back into sync, another ballad starting to play.

It’s romantic, soft in a way that makes Tony immediately glance towards Pepper, beckoning her out to the dance floor. She obliges, meeting him halfway. 

As he and Pepper begin to dance, Tony looks back to Peter and Michelle - the two of them lost in each other’s eyes, in the way all young lovers were - and he smiles. 

There, under the dim and twinkling lights of a ballroom, the soft acoustics of the song reverberating in his ears as he sways to the beat, Tony feels grateful that Michelle was officially part of his family, something Tony had known and believed for years - even if tonight still felt significant. 

He loved Peter like a son, a child he’d bent time itself to bring back. But swaying to the beat with Pepper, his eyes filling with tears - Tony felt overwhelmed. 

She’d been good for Peter, and Peter had clearly been good for Michelle. Now, dancing on their wedding day, Tony considered that maybe he had been good for the two of them too. 

Tony still didn’t feel like he did much good in the world, still didn’t feel worthy of the life he got to live - of the honor of getting to serve as a father figure to yet another. 

But there on a dance floor, swaying in step with the love of his life - heart swelling at the thought of his first kid being safe, happy and whole, dancing with the love of his - made Tony feel as if maybe there he was worth it after all.

Michelle may have asked him as a precaution, a so-called filler for the gap her own father had left.

But Tony couldn’t help but feel as if he had just danced with his daughter all the same. 

“You did great, Tony. No problems, right?” Pepper offers, Tony bringing his attention back to her. 

“Thanks, Pep. And no,” Tony glances to Michelle, catching her eye as she smiles.

“No problem at all.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Been listening to Lover by Taylor Swift on repeat & finally got the inspiration to write this. I love love - in all its various forms!!!
> 
> Tony Stark is a Good Dad™️ pass it on. 
> 
> <3


End file.
